See information on the basics of summer cover crops for Florida growers from a UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article.

“If you are looking for a method to invest in your soil health, cover crops are one option;” that’s the message in a UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article, published on Citrus Industry’s website. The article shared information on the basics of summer cover crops for Florida growers. See the details below.

Summer Cover Crops for Florida Growers

The article shared these details about summer cover crops for Florida growers:

  • “Improvements to soil health from planting cover crops can take time, but short-term benefits include changes to the soil microbial community which can impact nutrient availability.”
  • “cover crops can have rapid impacts on weed management, as they can outcompete and shade out weeds.”
  • Cover crops can equate to “row middles don’t need to be mowed as frequently.”
  • “Annual or perennial plants can be used as cover crops in citrus groves. Perennial cover crops can take time to establish. So, for potentially faster impacts, plant annual cover crops.”
  • “Planting legume cover crops, such as sunn hemp, can provide nitrogen to the soil.”
  • “Non-legume cover crops, such as millet or sorghum sudangrass, can provide carbon to the soil, which can help boost microbial activity and nutrient cycling.”
  • “Planting annual cover crops at the beginning of the rainy season and again at the end of the rainy season can help ensure good germination and growth.”
  • “…prepare the row middles before planting. If there is high weed pressure in row middles, applying herbicide before planting can help reduce competition between the weeds and germinating cover crops.:

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.